Effect of Crude Oil-Water Two-Phase Flow on Pump Performance

Abstract

An experimental study of pump performance (i.e. head, discharge, power, etc.) was achieved by using a centrifugal pump with crude oil-water two-phase flow. The crude oil used was from Sherao oil field in Kirkuk (Iraq) with a density of 838 kg/m3, dynamic viscosity of 6.0 cP and surface tension of 0.027 N/m at a temperature of 25oC. A centrifugal pump was used with straight impeller and one suction line and onedischarge line. The results show that the pump head and the discharge of two-phase flow decrease as oil volume fraction increased, and the power of the pump increase as oil volume fraction increased